Resilient tire



J. SPADAFORA. RESILIENT TIRE. APPLICATION -F|LED APR. 23, l9l9.

Patented July 20, 1920.

' lnvenTor. Joseph Spodofora Ar Tys PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH SPADAFORA, CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

RESILIENT TIRE.

Application filed April 23,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrrr SPADAFORA,

.a subjectof the King of Italy, residing at Cambridge, county ofMiddlesex, State of Massachusetts, and whose post office address is 4:14Valden street, Cambridge, Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement inResilient Tires, of which the following description, inconnection withthe accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on thedrawing representing like parts. i

. This invention relates to resilient tires adapted for use onautomobile wheels or wheels of other vehicles, and has for its object toprovide a novel resilient tire having the features which will be morefully hereinafter set forth.

In order to give an understanding of my invention, I have illustrated inthe draw ings a selected embodiment tliereofavhicli will now bedescribed, after which the novel features will be pointed out in theappended claims.

V Figure 1 is a side view with a portion broken out of a wheel having myimproved resilient tire thereon; V

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 22, Fig. '1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the filling members.

My improved resilient tire comprises a rim adapted to be applied to awheel body, a plurality of rolls extending transversely of the rim andloosely resting thereon, a resilient annular tread member situatedoutside of the rolls, and filling members interposed between the treadmember and the rolls and provided with wedge-shaped portions which enterthe spaces between the rolls and bearthereagainst.

The construction is such that Whenever any portion of the tread memberis forced inwardly toward the center ofthe wheel, as will be the case inregard to the portion of the tread member which is resting on the groundand sustaining the load, the wedgeshaped portions ofthe filling membersat this point will act on the rolls thereby spreading them andcausingsome adjacent portion of the tread member-to be forced outwardly therebymaintaining the tread member under suitable tension at all times whileproviding for the desired resiliency.

Speeification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 20, 1920.

1919. Serial No. 292,105.

erally .at 1, it being shown as of the type formed of a disk of metalwhich has a felly portion 2 at its peripheral edge. This felly portion 2has an annular metal band 3 applied thereto which constitutes thestationary rim of the wheel body.

Mv invent'on may be applied either to a wheel having a demountable rimor to one having a non-demountable rim. In the drawings I have shown itas applied to a wheel having a demountable rim, and 4 indicates suchdemountable rim which is removably applied to the stationary rim 3. Saidrim 3 is formed at one side with the positioning flange 5 against whichthe de-' mountable rim 4 is positioned and is also provided with theclamping members 6 by which the demountable rim is clamped 011 thewheel.

9 indicates an annular tread member v which is preferably made of rubberor some s1m1lar resilient material. Th1s triia'd mem-' her is situatedexterior to the rim 4 and encircles the latter, said .tread member beingspaced from the rim so as to receive therolls and filling members abovereferred to. These rolls are indicated at 8 and they extend transverselyof, the rim 4 and rest loosely thereon. The filling members areindicated at 10 and they are interposed between the tread 9 and therolls 8. The filling members are each provided with the back portion 12which engages the inner face of the tread member 9 and with thewedge-shaped inwardly-directed portion 11 which enters between twoadjacent rolls 8, as clearly seen in Fig. 1. The construction andarrangement of the parts is such that the normal space between the rim 4and the inner face of the tread member 9 is greater than the radialdimension of the filling members, and as a result the pointed edges ofthe filling members are spaced somewhat from-the rim 4,. as'will'be seenin Fig. 1. These filling members are arranged to. contact witheachother, and a roll is interposed between each two adjacent fillingmembers. This construction provides a flexible or yieldable support forthe tread member which permits any portion of the tread member to yieldinwardly and which causes each inward radial motion of any portion ofthe tread member to apply an outward pressure or. increased pressure toan adjacent portion of theltread member thereby maintaining the treadmember always under the proper tension while permitting the neces-f saryyielding motion. hen, therefore, a load is applied to the wheel and theportion of the tread member which is resting .on the ground is forcedinwardly toward the center of the wheel, the action or the correvsponding filling members on the rolls will" cause the rolls either sideof such portion to move laterally thereby to crowd adjacent portions ofthe tread outwardly and hence maintain the tread at all times under theproper tension. 7 v

The rolls, filling members and tread member may be retained in theirproper position relative to the rim 4t in any suitable; way. Oneconvenient way is by mak ng the -111114 channel-shaped, as shown,therelfi providing the side flanges? between which theroll's 8are-secured and by making the filling members'with' the endgrooves 13into which inturned lips 14 on the outer edges of the flanges 7are'received'. These grooves 13'are of sufiicient width to permit 7 therequisiteradialmovement of thefilling members, as above described.

'I have herein shownretaining rings 15 secured to, the side flanges 7 ofthe rim {l by suitable bolts 16, which retaining rings are. provided attheir outer edges with the lips 17, that partially. embrace the tread'member Q-and hold the latter in position;

@111 assembling the rim a majority-of the rollswillfirst bep'placed inthe rim, the

corresponding number of filling members with a radial slot 18 and alsowith two other slots 19 either side ofthe radial slot 18 and 7 extendinglaterally thereto, and have also provided. each roll 8 with a recess 20in its end. This slot '18 is wide enough to receive jaroll 8 and also afilling member 10.

'Tofins'ert an added roll or filling member,

animplement maybeinserted in each of theslots 19 and into a'recess inthe end of the roll' -8 opposite the slot 19, and by manipulating theimplementthese rolls may be spread apart suiiiciently to provide spacefor the insertion of an added roll and an added filling member throughthe slot 18.

This operation mayithe'n be repeated toinsert still another roll andfilling member if necessary'to provide the requisite number of rolls andfilling members to secure the i proper tension on the tread member.After a sufficient number of rolls and filling members have beeninserted, the slot 18 may be closed by a closure 21 shown in dottedlines Fig. 1, and which is provided with wings 22 that overlietheretaining plate 15 and which are secured thereto by suitable screwsor bolts.

I claim; p H

1. In a wheelhaving a resilient tire, the combination with a'wheel'body,of a channel-shaped rim applied thereto, the outer edges of said rimbeing provided with inwardly-directed lips, a plurality of rollsreceived between the: side flanges of said rim and extendingtransversely thereof, an

annular resilient tread member encircling said run, and a plurality offilling members interposed-between the tread members and said rolls,said filling members having wedge-shaped portions entering between therolls and'b'eing provided at their ends with recesses in which the lipsare received. 1

2 In a wheel havinga resilient tire, the combination with a wheel body,of a rim applied thereto, an annular resilient tread member encirclingsaid rim, but' spaced therefrom, and a 'plurality of independentfillingelements' interposed between the tread member and rim saidfilling members permitting any portion of thetreadj member to be movedinwardly on a radiallineandsuch inward movement operating 1 through thefilling members to forc'ej adjacent portions of thetread memberoutwardly.

3. In a wheel. having a resilient tire, the combination-with a 'wheelbody, of a chain nel shaped rim. applied thereto, an annular resilienttread member encircling said rim, a plurality of rolls receivedbetweenthe sidefianges of said rim and extending trans versely-thereof,a plurality of separatefill- 'ing members situated within the tread.m'emj her and having wedge-shaped portions'entering between said rolls,and annular retaining plates secured to the side fiangesot the rim andengaging'said tread member to retain itin position, v v 41111 a wheelhaving a resilient tire, the cembina'ti'onwith a wheel body, of achannel-sha'pe'd rim applied thereto, an annular resilient tread memberencircling said rim, a plurality of rolls received between the sldeflanges -of' said rim and extending transversely thereof, a plurality ofseparate fill: I

i'ng memberssituated within the tread mere-i her and having wedge shapedportions enteringbetween said rolls,fand annular re-' taining platessecured to the side flanges of the rimand engaging said tread membertoretai'nit in; positlon, one of said retaining members having anopemhgthrough which rolls and filling members maybe inserted between therim and tread member.

y In testimony whereof, have signed my name tothls specification.

' JosErH sPaDAFonA;

